Set the games up before trick-or-treat hours and the yard becomes a midway; candy prizes keep the little ones circulating, and a grown-ups round at the end is usually the part the street talks about afterward.
9. Tell ghost stories around the fire pit
Once the candy rush slows, a fire pit on the driveway with chairs pulled around it gathers the stragglers. Look up the ghost stories attached to your own town, every town has them, and let the neighbors trade the versions they heard growing up. For the brave, a group outing to one of the storied local spots makes a fine follow-up weekend.
10. End with a porch supper
When the porch light finally goes off, invite the nearest few households to stay: a pot of soup or stew, bread, and cider on the porch table while the kids trade candy on the steps. It is the simplest item on this list and the one most likely to turn a good Halloween into the start of an actual friendship. None of this calls for elaborate special effects or a yard full of animatronics. It calls for a lit porch, a little planning, and the willingness to go first. Most of these traditions only need one house to start them.
22
HOME SWEET HOME Magazine
Powered by FlippingBook